Magical Love
by Stargaziey
Summary: A new student teacher is helping Mr. Simmons class with a project, but someone else is helping to get Helga & Arnold together. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Alrighty then Everybody! This is my first fan fic, so please R&R. And please, when you do...be gentle.  
Thanks & Bunches ~ Stargaziey  
Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold! (Though it would be nice.)  
  
  
Magical Love  
by Stargaziey  
  
  
  
Helga gazed out her window to the world below on the dreary Monday morning. It had been raining all week and, more than likely, would rain out the baseball game planned for that evening.  
  
"Stupid spring showers." Grumbled Helga as she went downstairs and put on her raincoat. "I'm leaving for school now, Miriam." She said. The sound of her mother's snores was her only reply and Helga sighed, leaving to catch the bus.  
  
As Helga approached the bus stop, she listened to the sound of the thunder and watched the lightning. The day reminded her of the day she had met Arnold. It's amazing what can happen on such a dreary day. She thought, smiling to herself and relishing in her stolen moment. The thoughts of Arnold somewhat lifted her spirits and Helga greeted Phoebe with morning cheer as she approached the bus stop.  
  
"Morning, Pheebs."  
  
"Salutations, Helga." The two chatted with Nadine and Sheena as they waited for the bus. A few moments later, Arnold and Gerald approached the bus stop.   
  
"Hey Football Head!" Shouted Helga. Arnold gave her a look and replied, "Hi Helga." Then turned to Gerald. "I wish that someday she'd stop calling me names." Herald gave him a lopsided grin, "The only thing that would stop that, Arnold-my-man, is magic."  
~~~  
  
"Okay everybody. I have a few 'special' announcements to make." Said Mr. Simmons to the class when they got to school that morning. "First, since it's raining, we'll be having indoor recess...again." All the students groaned. It was the sixth day in a row that they had indoor recess because of the rain.   
  
"Next," Continued Mr. Simmons, "we'll be having a 'special' student teacher come in everyday after recess both this week and next week. Her name is Miss Brenna O'Leigh and I want all of you to be very nice to her when she comes in. She'll be working with all of you on the new 'special' project I have assigned for you." The class groaned in unison again. "It's a literature project. Each of you will pick a 'special' author of poetry or novels and try to write a poem or short story using their style of writing. Since Miss O'Leigh is an English Literature major in college, I thought she would be the best to help you on your 'special' projects." The class groaned the loudest this last time.  
  
Arnold was talking to Gerald during the indoor recess. "Do you think it will stop raining before the baseball game tonight, Gerald?"  
  
"The way it looks now, man, I'd be surprised if it stopped raining by Christmas." Gerald replied. The two of them were playing a game of checkers. Others around the room were doing similar things: playing games, reading and making the best of the dreary day.  
  
After his turn, Arnold looked out the window and noticed someone standing right outside the fence of the school, like they were debating to come in. Arnold wouldn't have noticed so much, but what the person was wearing caught his eye: a royal purple cloak.   
  
He couldn't tell who they were because the hood of the cloak was pulled over their head, but he got the feeling that he had never seen them before. When Gerald finished, Arnold took is turn and when he looked back to see the cloaked person, they were gone.  
  
Helga sat at her desk reading a comic book. She had read the same one every day they had indoor recess and she wasn't paying much attention to the pages. She gazed out the window and watched the rain.   
  
Helga noticed a movement near the entrance of the school. A person was standing out in the rain. Just standing there. "What an idiot," she said to herself, "they're just standing out in the rain." Still, she kept staring at the figure. It was the royal purple cloak that caught her eye. 'Humph! Why would they just be standing outside on a day like this?' Thought Helga, then turned back to her comic book, but she was still curious about the cloaked figure. But, when she turned to the window again, they were gone.  
  
After recess the students took their seats and settled down after the long and quite boring recess. "Calm down now, students." Said Mr. Simmons; "I want to introduce all of you to our new 'special' student teacher, Miss Brenna O'Leigh."   
  
He opened the door and there stood a lovely young woman. She had fair skin, emerald green eyes and long, flame red hair that was piled into a loose bun on the top of her head. She wore a white long-sleeve button down shirt and a midnight-blue skirt and jacket. On the jacket she wore a brooch with a crescent moon and a little star dangling from it. She was very beautiful and she had a cheery smile on her lips that never wavered as she stepped into the classroom of relentless stares.   
  
"Good afternoon, students." She said. Silence. She did not falter, but simply continued. "As Mr. Simmons told you, me name is Brenna O'Leigh and I will help you with your literature projects." There was a slight Irish accent to her silvery voice.  
  
"Okay class," Said Mr. Simmons, "when Miss O'Leigh is here, I am going to sit over in the corner and observe her 'special' teaching skills. She will be the 'special' teacher for the remainder of the day after recess for the next two weeks." Many of the students began to chatter about this and seemed quite happy with the arrangement. "Feel free to take over from here, Miss O'Leigh." Finished Mr. Simmons.   
  
Miss O'Leigh smiled and stepped behind the desk to lay a book upon it.  
"Students." She said, commanding their attention. "Before we begin, I'll just tell you a little bit about meself. I am originally from Daevon, Ireland and me family and I moved here when I was 12." She paused. "That explains my slight accent." She finished with a smile. "So, for the rest of today I'm going to explain some of the different types of writing styles in literature. I may suggest that you take some notes and then make your choice of style you're going to use."   
  
The rest of the day the students paid great attention to their student teacher, that they didn't even realize when the rain had stopped and the skies cleared.  
~~~  
  
"I'm telling you, Gerald, something is going on around here." Arnold said to his best friend after school that day. They were both getting ready for the baseball game that night.  
  
"What are you talking about, Arnold?"  
  
"Haven't you noticed that there's been an awful lot of cats hanging around here?"  
  
"Yeah, they're your grandma's pets." Gerald replied.  
  
"What about the weather? It's been kinda...weird."  
  
"It's springtime...weird weather happen in the spring." Gerald shrugged.  
  
"What about that person in the purple cloak I saw standing in front of the school today?"  
  
"Maybe they thought it was Halloween." Gerald joked. Arnold looked at Gerald, then said, "I mean it, Gerald. There's something going on around here and I'm gonna find out what." Gerald gave a concerned look to Arnold and asked, "Arnold, are you sure you saw some purple cloaked person standing outside the school today. I mean, it was raining pretty hard; you're eyes could have been playing tricks on you."   
  
"That's just it, Gerald. It was raining. Really hard. But now there isn't a cloud in the sky. It's been raining all week and it wasn't supposed to stop for at least a few more days."  
  
"I don't know about you, man. But I'm happy it stopped raining so we can have our game tonight." Arnold nodded in agreement. "After all," continued Gerald, "you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth."  
  
But Arnold didn't hear him; he was looking out his window at the purple cloaked figure in front of the boarding house.  
  
"Look Gerald! It's the person! The person in the cloak!" Before Gerald could look or respond, Arnold was running down the stairs to the front door. Soon after, Gerald was close behind. But, when they went outside there was nobody out there.  
  
"Wh...where'd he go?" Asked Arnold. Gerald looked at Arnold and asked,   
"Arnold, are you sure you're okay?"  
  
"Look!" Arnold cried, not answering Gerald's question, mostly because, at this moment in time, he wasn't sure himself. At the end of the sidewalk, in a crack in the concrete where weeds were growing, a single red rose bud was growing among them.  
  
"What the..." said Gerald, dumbfounded.  
  
"It's...it's a rose bud." Said Arnold with awe.  
  
"Maybe your grandma planted it." Suggested Gerald, trying to be somewhat rational. Arnold gave him a look to stop joking, then gently picked the delicate flower and took it inside.  
  
Using one of his grandma's vases he put the rose bud in water and set it on his bedside table. Gerald couldn't take it anymore.  
  
"Arnold, I know what you're thinking, cause I'm thinking it too, but it's impossible."  
  
"How else could that flower have gotten there, Gerald? The person in the purple cloak must have put it there."  
  
"But how?"  
  
"I don't know...but I'm gonna find out."  
~~~  
  
Helga and Phoebe sat in Helga's room talking about the day's events, mainly the stroke of luck about the rain finally coming to a stop.   
  
Helga was doing most of the talking, when she finally asked, "Hey, Pheebs, did you see that weird looking person at recess today?"  
  
"What 'weird looking person,' Helga?"  
  
"You know, they were wearing a purple cloak and watching the school, especially our class room."  
  
"My apologies, Helga, but I'm afraid I haven't a clue who you're talking about." Helga jumped off her bed and walked to her window, saying as she did, "Aw, c'mon Pheebs, how could you have missed...HIM!"   
  
In the next moment, Helga ran to her door and down the stairs, leaving Phoebe to stare blankly, then follow in her wake.   
  
"Helga, wait!" Phoebe cried. Helga threw open the door and practically skipped the steps and jumped onto the sidewalk. "Criminey! He's gone." She whispered to herself, feeling very agitated. Phoebe caught up to Helga "Are you feeling well, Helga?" She asked. Helga turned to Phoebe.  
  
"You didn't see him, Pheebs? They were wearing a purple cloak and..., What are you looking at Phoebe?"   
  
Helga turned to where Phoebe's gaze had become transfixed and gasped. A single white rose bud was growing between the cracks of weeds. Helga went over and, for a reason she could not comprehend, gently picked it and took it inside.  
  
In her room, Helga placed the rose bud in a small, green glass soda bottle she had kept because, when the sunlight hits it just right, it reminded her of Arnold's eyes.  
  
"How do you assume it got there, Helga?" Phoebe asked her best friend.  
  
"I don't know, Pheebs, but I'll bet that person in the cloak has something to do with it." Helga replied, never taking her gaze away from the rose bud.  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Alrighty then Everybody! I wanna thank everyone who reviewed my fan fic. Thanks for all the words of encouragement. Here's the continuation of my first fan fic. I hope you guys like it as much as you did the first part.  
Thanks & Bunches ~ Stargaziey  
Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold! (Though it would be nice.)  
  
  
Magical Love  
by Stargaziey  
  
Part 2  
  
The next day at school everyone was talking about the new student teacher: Miss O'Leigh.  
  
"She so pretty. I don't mind listening to her for half the day." Said Sid.  
  
"She has such taste in fashion." Said Rhonda.  
  
"I reckon she's awful smart to be a literature teacher. She knows lots about writin' poetry." Drawled Stinky.  
  
Arnold and Gerald walked down the halls of P.S. 118, listening to what everyone was saying.  
  
"Man, Arnold. Can you believe how everyone is going on about that Miss O'Leigh?"  
  
"Yeah, I like her. I think she's really nice and her accent is really cool, it's fun to listen to her talk."  
  
Gerald thought for a minute then asked Arnold, "Hey Arnold, did you notice all the cats that were outside the school this morning?"  
  
"Yeah. I told you something weird is going on."  
  
Helga G. Pataki stomped down the hall towards Arnold and Gerald, shoving kids into lockers and knocking books out of their hands.  
  
"Still sore after I made you and your pathetic team eat my dust at the game yesterday, Football Head?" Helga sneered. Arnold's team had lost to Helga's 4-9.  
  
Arnold wasn't really upset about the loss though; he had been a little preoccupied during the game. He had been thinking about the rose bud and the person in the purple cloak.   
  
In all actuality, it hadn't fazed Helga one bit, but her mind had wandered as to why the cloaked person had left her a rose bud.  
  
"Actually, Helga, we wanted to know if you'd like to have a rematch tonight." Replied Arnold, ignoring her insults.   
  
"You're on, Football Head!" Helga replied and stomped off around a corner.   
  
Once around the corner, Helga bolted for the Girls Room. Setting down her backpack, Helga sighed as she pulled out her locket with Arnold's picture.   
  
"Oh, Arnold. How I wish I could tell you how I feel instead of insulting you, torturing your very existence..." Helga stopped short when she heard a sound. She mentally slapped herself when she came to the realization that she had forgotten to check under the stalls! Helga grabbed her backpack and ran out of the Girls Room and rushed to class.  
  
Brenna O'Leigh stepped out of the bathroom stall and picked up the book that had fallen out of Helga's backpack when she had run out of the Girls Room. She looked at the pale pink cover of the book. It had no title, so she assumed it was a blank book.   
  
When she looked inside, though, she was proven otherwise. It was filled with poetry, poetry written by Helga G. Pataki. Brenna O'Leigh smiled and hummed a little tune as she left the Girls Room   
  
It was at recess that Helga noticed her book of poetry missing when she putting some things in her locker.  
  
"Criminey!" She cried.  
  
"Is something wrong, Helga?" Phoebe asked her.  
  
"What? No...no, Pheebs. Everything's just fine, heh heh."   
  
"Oh, alright Helga. I'll save your place in four square." Said Phoebe, then ran outside.  
  
'What could I have done with it!' Helga thought to herself. She spent the entire recess retracing her steps throughout the school, but to no avail.  
  
Helga began anticipating worst case scenarios: "What if someone found my book and tells the whole school about my love for Arnold? Or worse! What if Arnold found my book of poetry? My life would certainly come to an end!"  
  
RING!!!  
  
The bell to end recess rang and Helga found herself in a hall filled with other students.  
  
"Helga!" Yelled Phoebe from across the hall. "Helga, where were you at recess? We couldn't find you anywhere." She asked when she got to Helga's side.  
  
"Oh, I...I just couldn't bring myself to have recess outside today. I'd gotten so fond of indoor recess."  
  
"But, Helga, you said you hate indoor recess."  
  
"Oh...well, I wish you would have told me that sooner, then I wouldn't have spent all recess in here." Said Helga, rushing to class.  
  
She heard some girls giggling in the corner of the hall. 'Could they be laughing at me?' thought Helga. 'No...that's crazy. Get a grip, Helga-old-girl, it'll be okay."  
  
"Alright class." Said Miss O'Leigh after all the students got inside. The students were a little wired after their first outdoor recess in over a week. "I hope all of you have picked an author, because now you need to start reading some of their work. I have some suggestions of authors and their works if any of you would like to use them."  
  
Miss O'Leigh went around the room, helping the students pick their authors.  
  
Phoebe had chosen Louisa May Alcott, Harold chose Dr. Suess and Gerald had chosen Alex Haley.   
  
Arnold was having a hard time selecting an author.  
  
"I like some poetry." Arnold explained to Miss O'Leigh. Miss O'Leigh thought about it for a moment then went to her desk. She took out a thin, worn book from her bag. It had a soft, navy blue cover and the pages were a little yellowed.  
  
"You may like this author." She said.  
  
Arnold read the cover: "'Endymion' by John Keats."  
  
"Keats was an early nineteenth century British poet, the greatest during the Romantic Period. He uses a lot of mythology in his poetry, too. Like this one here." She said pointing to the title. "It's a little dense at first, but after you read it for a while, you really start to understand what he's saying. Actually, Arnold, Keats is me favorite poet of all time."  
  
Arnold smiled, "Thanks, Miss O'Leigh."  
  
Miss O'Leigh continued helping the students. But she frowned when she saw Helga, who was sitting with her head in her hands, doing nothing. But as Miss O'Leigh was walking towards Helga's desk, the bell rang to hail the end of school for the day.  
  
"Please continue reading works from your authors and I'll see all of you tomorrow." Said Miss O'Leigh cheerfully. She looked at Helga who was sulking towards the door. "Helga, may I talk to you?" She more said than asked. She had a pretty good hunch what Helga was upset about.  
  
Mr. Simmons came over to Miss O'Leigh. "Your own 'special' teaching skills are marvelous, Miss O'Leigh."  
  
Miss O'Leigh smiled, "Thank you, Mr. Simmons." Then she looked at Helga. "I really need to talk to Helga, I'll lockup the class room. If you don't mind?"  
  
Mr. Simmons clapped his hands together, "Mind? I think it's wonderful that you are trying to get a one-on-one relationship with the students. Helping each and everyone individually, sacrificing your own time to make sure the students excel in their studies."  
  
Miss O'Leigh smiled weakly, "Yes, thank you, Mr. Simmons." With that he left the room and Miss O'Leigh turned to Helga.  
  
"Helga, I noticed you weren't putting much effort to finding an author today."  
  
Helga scoffed, "That's putting it mildly."  
  
"Helga, I want to help you. But, I'm trying to help you with something a little different at this moment in time."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Miss O'Leigh reached into her bag and pulled out the light pink book of Helga's poetry. Helga took it with trembling hands.   
  
"Wh...where did you find this?" Helga asked.  
  
"In the Girls Room." Replied Miss O'Leigh.  
  
Helga didn't look up when she asked, "So...you heard everything?"  
  
"Well...yes, Helga. But I didn't want to talk to you about that." Helga gave her a confused look. "Your poetry...it's very good. Excellent, in fact."   
  
"Yeah, so?" said Helga.  
  
"Sooo...if you would like, you could use yourself as an author."  
  
"What? No way am I gonna do something like that!"  
  
"Alright, Helga. It was just a suggestion. But, have you picked an author to use yet?"  
  
"Well, not exactly..." Miss O'Leigh walked around to the desk and wrote something down a piece of paper. Then handed it to Helga who read the name: "Emily Dickinson?"  
  
"Yes, I think the two of you may have something in common."   
  
"Like what?" Helga asked sarcastically.  
  
"You'd be surprised." Said Miss O'Leigh packing her bag. Helga gave her an odd look then left. Brenna O'Leigh smiled and shook her head. 'Simply amazing.' She thought to herself.  
  
Arnold arrived at the boarding house and went strait up to his room. He set the book Miss O'Leigh gave to him. Then looked at the red rose bud on his bedside table. He took it from the vase and stared at it in his hands. He didn't know what to make of it.  
  
Arnold placed the rose back into the vase and went downstairs. "I'm going for a walk, grandpa."  
  
"Alright, Short Man. But I'd take a raincoat, there's been some weird spring weather going on around here."   
  
Arnold sighed as he went down the steps; even his grandpa had noticed odd things going on. He rounded a corner and smacked strait into Helga.  
  
"Hey! Watch where you're going Football Head!" She shouted at him.   
  
"Sorry, Helga." Arnold mumbled and, without saying another word, he just kept on walking.   
  
Helga stared at his back as he walked away, something was wrong. She ran to catch up with him, "Hey Arnold! Is something wrong?" She asked when she came up to him.   
  
Arnold gave her a surprised look and Helga quickly added, "Not that it matters to me. It just seems that you have your football head higher in the clouds than usual."   
  
Arnold shrugged and replied, "I just have some stuff on my mind." He hesitated a bit, then asked her, "Hey Helga...have you noticed anything...weird lately?"   
  
She gave him an odd look, thinking of the person in the cloak and of her white rose bud. "Nothing other than your football shaped head." Helga replied, but she was curious. "Why do you ask?"   
  
"Oh, no reason...I was just wondering." He said, then went up the stairs to the boarding house.   
  
'Just tell him! He's noticed weird stuff going on around here. He'll understand!' Helga thought to herself. "Hey Arnold?" She said before he went inside. "Uh...I need to tell you something."   
  
Arnold gave her an odd look, but when he saw her face, it was almost pleading, he smiled and opened the door for her to come inside.  
  
"What did you want to tell me, Helga?" He asked when they were in his room.   
  
Helga looked around. Memories of her outrageous stunts came back to her. When she hid in his closet to get back her little, pink book of poetry about him and when she had spent the night behind his couch to get back her parrot that had memorized a poem to Arnold.   
  
"Helga?" he asked again. She spun around to face him.  
  
"Oh, Arnold. Sorry, I...I just wanted to tell you that I...I have noticed some weird stuff going on lately." She said, arms behind her back, staring at her feet  
  
"Like what?" He asked.  
  
"Um...uh..." She couldn't tell him about the person in the cloak or about the rose bud she had found. Then she noticed it...the red rose bud on his bedside table. "Arnold," she said walking over to it. "Where did you get that?"   
  
Arnold became a little flustered, "Uhh...why do you ask?"  
  
"Because..." She looked at him, "I have one, too." They looked each other in the eye at that moment.   
  
'Tell him how you feel!' Helga's heart seemed to scream at her. "I...I have to go." Said Helga quickly and ran out of his room before Arnold could protest.  
  
Once outside, Helga made a mad dash for her house. She ran until she reached her own room, not even realizing when the skies clouded up and the rain began to pour.  
  
To be continued...  



	3. Chapter 3

Alrighty then Everybody! Hey, once again, a BIG thanks to everyone who said nice things about my fan fic. I'm soooo glad you guys like it since it's my first one. This parts kinda short, but it's important. Enjoy!  
Thanks & Bunches ~ Stargaziey  
Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold! (Though it would be nice.)  
  
  
Magical Love  
by Stargaziey  
  
Part 3  
  
Arnold laid on his bed, staring out his skylight. Helga's words kept replaying in his head. 'I have one, too.' She had said. Arnold knew exactly what she meant; she had a rose too. But he didn't understand how or why. He didn't understand why he had one and she had left in such a hurry.   
  
'I've never seen Helga act that way.' He thought. Arnold sat up on his bed when he had a realization. He didn't want Helga to leave when she had come up to his room. She was acting nice for a change and Arnold had liked it. Liked it-liked it.  
  
It had been three days since Helga had told Arnold about her rose bud. It rained out the game they had planned for Tuesday night and had poured down rained everyday since. It was Friday and Helga had avoided Arnold as much as she could. When she did have to say anything to him, she was just as mean and hateful as always. Perhaps, even, a little more.  
  
The class kept working on their literature assignments from Miss O'Leigh. Helga had actually gained a respect for Miss O'Leigh after she began to read some of Emily Dickinson's poetry. Helga learned that she was very private and felt great emotion. She also wrote a lot of poetry about a certain special someone, much like herself. Miss O'Leigh had been right, Helga WAS surprised at how much she and Emily Dickinson had in common.  
  
Arnold got off of his bed and went downstairs to find his grandpa, who was playing a game of checkers with Oskar Kokoshka, one of the Sunset Arms boarders.  
  
"Grandpa, can I talk to you?" Arnold asked his grandfather, who was accusing Oskar of cheating.  
  
"Sure, Short Man. What's your problem? That's cheating, Kokoshka!"  
  
"Well, Helga's always really mean to me, but she was acting kinda nice earlier." Said Arnold  
  
"I was not cheating. That was a fair move." Oskar dully argued back.  
  
"You can't move your pieces backwards unless they're kings!" Grandpa yelled. "So what's the problem with that, Arnold?" He then asked.  
  
"I was wondering what I should do. Should I talk to her about it and risk getting pounded or just hope that she acts nicer a little more often." Confided Arnold.  
  
"Yes, you can. It's a special rule...only if you're the red pieces." Oskar went on.  
  
"You cheating good-for-nothing, you just made that up!" He shouted to Oskar, then turned to Arnold, "Well, Arnold, first you have to find out why she was acting nice to you." Replied Grandpa.  
  
"That's just it, I don't know. What should I do?" Said Arnold.  
  
"Well, I can't really tell you what you should do, but I can tell you what you should never do." Replied Grandpa.  
  
"Yeah, I know, grandpa. Never eat raspberries." Arnold said, a little disappointed.   
  
"That's the stuff, Arnold." Said his grandfather, who went strait back to arguing with Oskar and hardly heard Arnold say, "Thanks, Grandpa."  
  
Arnold left Oskar and his grandpa to their arguing. He put on his raincoat and went out into the pouring rain. Arnold walked for what seemed a very long time and when he looked up he realized he was only a few feet from Helga's house. He hadn't planed on ending up at her house, it just sort of...happened.   
  
'Well, I'm here. I may as well try to talk to her. I just hope she doesn't pound me.' He thought. Arnold went up the stairs and knocked. A very droopy-eyed Miriam Pataki answered the door.  
  
"Is Helga here?" asked Arnold.  
  
"Ohh, yeah, she's right up in her room." Miriam said drowsily. Arnold climbed the stairs and knocked on Helga's door.  
  
"Who is it?" Helga yelled from inside.  
  
"It's Arnold." He replied.  
  
"Arnold?" Helga cried. Arnold heard shuffling and a crashing noise come from her room, then she opened her bedroom door and they stood there for a moment in silence when she finally asked, "So what do you want, Football Head?"  
  
"Helga, I wanted to ask about what you said the other day. You know, what you said about the rose bud."  
  
"I...I..." Helga started, but she couldn't finish. Arnold looked around her room and found her white rose bud sitting in a green glass soda bottle. He went past her and walked over to the windowsill.   
  
"I found it growing in one of the cracks in the sidewalk where weeds grow." She said, finally finding her tongue.  
  
"But...why is yours white and mine is red?" He asked. Helga scoffed and replied, "How should I know, Arnoldo? I hardly know how it got in the crack in the sidewalk."  
  
Arnold looked at her steadily, "You 'hardly' know? Do you have any idea." His heart full of hope that perhaps someone else knew about the mysterious purple cloaked person.   
Helga stiffened a bit. 'You can't tell him about the weirdo in the cloak.' Her rational mind screamed at her. "I have no idea." She lied, "I just walked outside and there it was."  
  
"But why did you take it in and keep it?" Arnold asked, he was determined. Helga jumped up and snapped, "What is this, Twenty Questions? Geez, Football Head, I said I didn't know how the stupid rose bud wound up on my sidewalk."  
  
Arnold felt a little hurt by her outburst. He stood there watching her. He wanted to give up and leave like he had done hundreds of times before, but for some reason, just this once, he decided to try harder to bring down Helga's defensive wall. He was ready to put up a fight. Physical if necessary.   
  
He took a step closer to Helga, "Please, Helga. You can tell me, I won't laugh. I'll believe you, no matter how weird it may be." Helga hesitated; she wanted to tell him. She tried to start, "I...I think someone put it there."  
  
"Who?" Asked Arnold.  
  
"Someone...wearing a purple cloak." Arnold's spirits soared and he replied, "So...you've seen them, too?" Helga looked at him, looked into his emerald eyes. Arnold continued, "That's who put the rose bud on my side walk. A person in a royal purple cloak. I saw them, but nobody else did."  
  
Helga went to stand near Arnold next to the windowsill and she took her rose bud from its glass bottle. "But...why us. I mean, I don't think anyone else has one. I know Phoebe doesn't."  
  
"Gerald doesn't either." Arnold said. They looked at the white, unfolded petals for a few moments then asked in unison, "But, what does this mean?"  
  
The two stood by the window for a bit, trying hard to unravel the mysteries of their rose buds, when they heard a noise outside in the rain and looking out the window, they found the only solution to their questions.  
  
"It's him!" Cried Arnold, "The guy in the purple cloak!"   
  
To be continued...  
  



	4. Chapter 4

Alrighty then Everybody! Again! Thank you, thank you, thank you for the nice things you guys said about my fan fic. Hope you guys like this next part. Enjoy!  
Thanks & Bunches ~ Stargaziey  
Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold! (Though it would be nice.)  
  
  
Magical Love  
by Stargaziey  
  
Part 4  
  
"Come on, Helga." Said Arnold as he ran towards the door. Helga put her rose bud back into it's bottle and turned to him.   
"I'm not going out there!" She cried, "What if he's some deranged psychopath out to get us?"  
  
"Well, we'll never know till we find out. So, c'mon, they might be gone by now." He replied and headed out the door  
  
'Oh, my dear, sweet Arnold. So brave. So bold. He looks danger in the face and laughs.' Helga thought to herself. Then she slapped herself back to reality and ran down the stairs, not far behind Arnold.  
  
Helga finished putting on her raincoat as she stepped out into the pouring rain and scowled as she realized that the cloaked person was no longer where they once stood. "Oh, great, Football Head. He's gone."  
  
"Where'd he go?" Asked Arnold. Then they saw him. Across the street, running in the direction of the City Park.  
  
"Let's go!" cried Arnold to Helga as he started to run down the street.  
  
They followed the cloaked figure into the City Park. But when they rounded a corner, the cloaked person was nowhere to be found.  
  
Helga stopped short when she didn't see the cloaked figure anymore, but slipped in some mud and fell flat on her behind.  
  
"Ouch!" she cried when she landed. She had mud splattered all over her and looked very similar to the way she did the day her and Arnold met.  
  
"Helga!" said Arnold as he came back to where she sat, shivering in the mud. "Are you okay?"  
  
Helga got mad, "Am I okay?! Does it look like I'm okay, Football Head? I'm sitting in mud, in the pouring rain, chasing after some weirdo who dresses funny!" She shouted. Helga saw his hurt face and sighed. "Yeah, I'm okay." She said quietly.  
  
Arnold held out his hand to her and helped her up and the rain began to let up and, after a moment stopped. The two looked up into the dark gray sky.  
  
"What is going on around here?" Helga whispered to nobody in particular.  
  
"I don't know, but we should probably get home. I don't think we're going to find that person tonight." Arnold said, glancing around the park. Helga nodded in agreement.  
  
When they reached Helga's house, Arnold had a thought. They had found their rose buds over a week ago. Helga didn't keep hers in water, but it still looked perfect. His was in water, but even after a week it should look a little wilted. For some reason, both of their rose buds had not wilted, nor bloomed, but looked exactly the same as when they had found them.  
~~~  
  
The next few days were some of the oddest that P.S. 118 had ever seen. Cats were still swarming around the school. The weather still shifted from pouring rain to sunshine within a matter of minutes, but the oddest of all was the fact that Helga G. Pataki and Arnold were being nice to each other.  
  
One bright, Wednesday morning, Gerald asked his best friend about this odd behavior.  
"Arnold, have you been feeling okay lately."  
  
"Yeah, Gerald. Why shouldn't I?" Arnold replied, not surprised.  
  
"Well every time I've seen you with Helga Pataki, you guys are nice to each other."  
  
"Yeah, so?" replied Arnold.  
  
"Now Arnold, correct me if I'm wrong, but last time I checked...she hates you." Gerald went on.  
  
"Well..." started Arnold, but he was interrupted by several other students joining them.  
Sid, Stinky, Rhonda, Sheena, Harold, and Nadine.   
  
"Hey, Arnold, why you been hanging out with Helga so much lately. It's like you two are in love or something." Drawled Stinky.  
  
"Yeah, I mean, what do you see in Helga anyway?" asked Rhonda.  
  
"Arnold loves Helga, Arnold loves Helga!" Teased Harold.  
  
Arnold had had enough. "That's it!" he shouted. "I do not love Helga, I've just been nicer to her because we're working on a project together." It was a lie, he knew. At least about the project. He wasn't sure about how he felt about her. Still, everyone had become very quite. Even Gerald didn't ask anymore questions.  
  
Truth be told, Arnold really liked spending what time he did with Helga the past few days. She had been nice to him. She still got mad and defensive sometimes and called him Football Head, but other than that, she was a lot of fun.  
  
Helga strolled down the hall with her best friend Phoebe. Phoebe was also a little confused about the change of heart between Helga and Arnold.  
  
"We just found something that we have in common, Pheebs." Helga had replied to her friend's questions.   
  
Helga was in light spirits until she heard Arnold's outburst in the hallway.  
  
"I have to go, Pheebs." Helga said and ran to the Girls Room. Helga pulled out her locket and held it with trembling hands. "Oh, Arnold. I don't know what to do to make you like me. These last few days we have spent in civility are the best in my life and still I have yet to earn your love..."  
  
Helga felt a warm hand on her should her and she gasped and turned. Miss O'Leigh was standing above her, smiling.  
  
"Are you alright, Helga?" She asked.  
  
"Of course I'm alright, why wouldn't I be." Helga replied, hiding her locket.  
  
"Helga, I know how you feel about Arnold. You don't have to hide it from me and I won't tell anyone either." Miss O'Leigh said quietly.  
  
Helga sighed, "Thanks, Miss O'Leigh." She trusted the woman to keep her secret and Friday was her last day anyway.  
  
Miss O'Leigh smiled at Helga then left the bathroom, leaving Helga to her thoughts. Helga realized that she had to find out how Arnold did feel about her.  
~~~  
  
Later that day, Helga took her rose bud from its green bottle and left for Sunset Arms. She didn't know why she took the rose bud with her, but it made her feel a little stronger. Helga arrived at the boarding house and knocked on the door.  
  
Arnold's grandpa answered the door. He knew who she was right away and smiled. "Oh, Helga, Arnold's up in his room."  
  
"Thanks." She mumbled. She was so nervous. 'Now, Helga.' She thought to herself. 'You're not going to tell him your secret, you're just going to find out how he feels about you.'   
  
Arnold opened his bedroom door to find Helga on the other side. He looked surprised to see her.  
  
"Helga, come in." he said. Helga stood in his room a moment; she didn't say anything. Arnold was confused. "Was there something you needed?" he asked her.  
  
"Arnold...I...I need to know something." She stammered.  
  
"What's that, Helga?" he asked.  
  
Helga looked all around the room except at Arnold; she avoided his face at all costs. She saw his red rose bud sitting in its vase on his bedside table. She looked at her own: a snowy white. She took a deep breath.  
  
"I heard what you said today in the hall, Arnold." She said. Arnold became a little uncomfortable.  
  
"Oh." He said.  
"I know I haven't been acting like myself lately. I just...the whole thing with this person in the cloak and the rose buds and...I didn't want to try to figure it all out on my own." She said, slumping on to his couch.   
  
In truth, they had not seen any sign of the person in the purple cloak since that night they had chased them into the City Park in the rain.  
  
"I understand, Helga." Replied Arnold. He didn't know exactly what to say to her. They hadn't been spending a lot of time together. But the little they did, Helga had been nice. And Arnold liked her when she was nice. Liked her, liked her.   
  
Arnold sat on the couch beside her and continued, "If it makes you feel any better, Helga, I only said that stuff in the hall because I was mad." Helga looked at him oddly.  
  
"What do you mean?" She asked. Arnold blushed a little.  
  
"Well, it just seemed easier to deny what they were saying instead of explaining it." He said, blushing a little more.  
  
"You mean..." But Helga stopped. There was cat on Arnold's fire escape. A pretty black cat with pumpkin orange eyes. It was pawing at the window, trying to get their attention.  
  
They both ran to the window and when Arnold the swung it open and the cat jumped down. It drew their attention to the ground where stood the person in the purple cloak.  
  
"It's him!" Said Arnold. Helga was determined to find out what this whole thing was all about. Grabbing Arnold's hand, the two ran from his room to the street below.  
  
When Arnold and Helga ran outside they didn't see the cloaked person at first, only a dozen cats or so. Then Helga pointed across the street, heading in the direction of the City Park. "There!"  
  
They ran after the figure to the same spot where they had lost them before.   
  
"Criminey! Not again!" Yelled Helga. Arnold was looking around trying to see anything out of the ordinary and noticed a couple of cats heading towards a thick group of trees. He nudged Helga, "What is it, Football Head?" she snapped. Arnold pointed towards the grove of trees and Helga saw another cat go inside.  
  
"C'mon." Arnold whispered to her. They followed the same path that the cats had taken. It was a well-worn trail into a clearing at the center of the trees. It was a small clearing, no larger than 7 or 8 feet wide, but an interesting place indeed.  
  
Arnold tapped Helga on the shoulder, he saw the cloaked person. They were holding one of the cats. The same one that had been scratching on Arnold's bedroom window.   
  
"What do we do now?" Helga barely breathed to Arnold. He shrugged, but they didn't have to wait long for an answer.  
  
A familiar voice came from inside the royal purple hood. "You don't have to hide, I promise I won't hurt you." It said.  
  
Arnold and Helga looked at each other, they knew they should probably run, but were too curious and stepped out into the small clearing.  
  
A silvery giggle came from the hood and the voice came again, "I knew the two of you would come find me sooner or later." The black cat jumped from the cloaked person's arms and the fair hands went to the hood. A mass of flame red curls tumbled down the back of the purple cloak and bright, emerald green eyes stared at Arnold and Helga as they gasped at the identity of their mysterious cloaked person. She smiled cheerfully.  
  
Arnold and Helga gapped in a stupor, then found their tongues at the same moment,   
"Miss O'Leigh?"  
  
To be continued...  



	5. Chpater 5

Alrighty then Everybody! Okay, I know you're all ready to find out what happens between Helga and Arnold and what's up with this Brenna O'Leigh chick. So without further ado, the final chapter of Magical Love. Oh, yeah! And thanks for all the kind reviews!!!  
Thanks & Bunches ~ Stargaziey  
Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold! (Though it would be nice.)  
  
  
Magical Love  
by Stargaziey  
  
Part 5  
  
Miss Brenna O'Leigh smiled as Arnold and Helga realized who she was. "Yes. I've been watching over the two of you for quite sometime now." Arnold and Helga exchanged glances.  
  
"What do you mean 'watching over us?'" Arnold asked.  
  
"Do you believe in magic?" Miss O'Leigh asked, ignoring the question. The two looked confused, but Helga scoffed and replied, "Magic? Please. Parlor tricks are for losers."   
  
"I mean 'real' magic." Said Miss O'Leigh and when she said 'real' she waved her hand and a few purple sparkles trailed in its wake. Arnold and Helga gasped.  
  
"What are you?" Helga asked, wide-eyed. Miss O'Leigh smiled. "Someone who knows when two people need a little help."  
"Help with what?" Asked Arnold, he didn't think he was doing that badly on his literature project.   
  
Brenna O'Leigh held out her hands and in a flurry of sparkles the two rose buds appeared. "Helga, I told you I would never tell anyone your secret. But the longer you keep it, the more it will work against you." She said, handing the white bud to Helga. Arnold looked curious at the mention of a secret. Helga didn't respond; she wanted to tell her secret to Arnold...but what if he rejected her?  
  
Miss O'Leigh turned to Arnold. She smiled and held out the red rose for him to take. As he took it she said, "Think of love as a flower. When cared for and not kept in secret it blooms into something beautiful." Arnold gazed at the unfolded red rose petals; he still didn't completely understand.  
  
"Why did you give us these rose buds, Miss O'Leigh?" Arnold asked.   
  
"Roses are the flower of love, but they are buds because you each have a strong love inside of you that has not yet bloomed." She gestured to Arnold, "I gave you a red one because you have a strong, passionate love inside of you, but you crave pure, unconditional love." Miss O'Leigh turned to Helga, "You have a white bud because you contain the purest of love within you, but you long for passion and fire."  
  
Arnold and Helga looked at their roses then at each other. "Why did you do this?" Arnold asked. Miss O'Leigh smiled, "Because...love will not wait."  
  
With that Brenna O'Leigh picked up her black cat and, with a wave of her hand and shower of purple sparkles she was gone. The small grove of trees was gone and Helga and Arnold found themselves sitting on a park bench, rose buds still in hand.  
  
After a long moment, Arnold looked at Helga and asked, "Helga, what secret what she talking about?"  
  
Helga stiffened. Arnold knew she had a secret. Miss O'Leigh was true to her word; she didn't tell anyone Helga's secret, but she made it where Helga had to tell Arnold. Helga took a deep breath. "The secret of who I've loved for a very long time." She said quietly. Arnold was almost stunned. Helga G. Pataki loves someone.  
  
"Who?" asked Arnold.  
  
"You." Helga said in a barely audible whisper. Arnold didn't know what to say. He sat there on the bench, thinking of his memories of Helga. Of the few times when what she said could possibly be true.  
  
"You're in love with me?" Arnold asked, not daring to believe. Helga nodded, then said, "You know that little, pink book of poems about you?" Arnold nodded, then the thought struck him. "You? You wrote them?" Helga nodded.  
  
"Remember this past Valentine's Day?" Helga asked him. Arnold didn't know what she was talking about then he realized what she was saying and he fell off the bench.  
  
"Arnold!" Helga cried as she got on the ground to help him. "Are you okay?" she asked.  
  
"Y...you're Cecile?" Was his only reply. Helga nodded once again and smiled slightly. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He asked. Helga looked away.   
  
"I didn't know how you would react. You were so nice to me that first day of preschool, the first person who ever really noticed me. I didn't know what to do. So, I did the only thing I knew how to do: get mad." She confided. Arnold smiled at her.   
  
He realized that for a long time, deep down, he had always liked Helga. Liked her, liked her. She had been acting fairly nice to him the last few days and Arnold realized that he did truly have feelings for Helga G. Pataki.  
  
Arnold sat up and looked at Helga. She wasn't looking at him; she was too scared to see his face. "Helga." He said, getting her to look at his face. "I love you, too." Helga almost cried.   
  
"You do?" She asked. Arnold smiled his quirky, little smile. Then he leaned forward and kissed her lips. When they parted Helga smiled dreamily. Then she noticed a black cat sitting a few feet away from them, watching. It's bright orange eyes missing nothing.  
  
"Arnold, look." She said, pointing to the cat. Arnold turned; it was the same cat that belonged to Brenna O'Leigh. Arnold smiled, but there were a few things he still didn't understand. He looked at Helga and asked, "Hey, Helga. Why do you suppose all these cats were hanging around Miss O'Leigh?"   
  
"I don't know...Football Head." Arnold smiled. It didn't bother him that much anymore to be called Football Head; he knew what Helga really meant by it.  
  
Arnold got up and turned towards the bench and gasped. Helga turned to see what had surprised him. Their two rose buds were no longer on the bench. In place, there was a single rose. The base of the petals were red, then gradually became white at the tips. It was a beautiful rose in full bloom. Next to it was an envelope with curvy writing that read: To Arnold & Helga.  
  
Arnold opened the envelope to find a note that read:  
  
Dear Arnold & Helga,  
  
I knew that the two of you would come through. You both really are quite remarkable. Good luck.  
  
By the way, if you're wondering about the cats, well...that just comes with the territory. And don't worry about the weather, it won't be raining for a while if I have anything to say about it. (Which I do.)  
  
Love,  
Brenna O'Leigh, Witch of the First Waters   
Daevon, Ireland  
  
P.S.  
Please give the enclosed letter to Mr. Simmons. I won't be returning to the class, but I can tell you than everyone made an A on their projects.  
  
Arnold looked at Helga, who simply shrugged. They gazed at the sky as the stars began to appear. "Do you believe in magic, Helga?" Arnold asked her for a moment. Helga looked at him. She had confessed her secret and Arnold loved her back.  
  
"Yes," she replied, "I do."  
  
  
The End ~ Hope you liked it!!!  



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